Raccoon rabies surveillance and control operations

The Gouvernement du Québec has implemented a plan to fight against raccoon rabies. It provides for surveillance and control operations to limit the spread of this rabies variant in Québec. 

Raccoon rabies surveillance and control operations target raccoons, skunks and foxes.

Surveillance operations consist of collecting animals that have died or show signs of rabies in high risk zones in order to carry out analyses to determine whether or not they are infected with the disease.

Raccoon rabies surveillance aims to:

• Detect cases of racoon rabies in wild animals in Québec in order to quickly identify an outbreak of rabies;
• Measure the intensity and duration of the outbreak of raccoon rabies in Québec and the size of the territory affected;
• Monitor the situation of raccoon rabies outside Québec, as the disease could represent a threat to new areas;
• Provide data to support scientific and epidemiological findings and conduct risk analyses.

To learn more, see the map on the distribution of specimens collected (PDF 1.67 Mb) as part of raccoon rabies surveillance in Québec. You can also see the list of rabies cases identified in Québec.

Reports on the surveillance operations are available:

• Report on raccoon rabies surveillance operations in 2023 (PDF 1.14 Mb)
• Report on raccoon rabies surveillance operations in 2022 (PDF 8.40 Mb)
• Report on raccoon rabies surveillance operations in 2021 (PDF 2.13 Mb)
• Report on raccoon rabies surveillance operations in 2020 (PDF 2.08 Mb)

Enhanced surveillance zone

The enhanced surveillance zone, located in Montérégie and Estrie, is the territory with the highest likelihood of rabies begin detected in wildlife due to cases being present in this area in Québec or in neighbouring territories. Residents in this area are called upon to report suspicious animals year round. Their collaboration is essential because among all the specimens analyzed, the odds of detecting a rabid animal are highest among the animals reported by citizens.

The area includes 180 municipalities, Indigenous territories and unorganized territories (UTs). Consult the List of municipalities in Montérégie and Estrie targeted by the enhanced surveillance (PDF 137 Kb) and the map of Québec raccoon rabies enhanced surveillance area (PDF 1.26 Mb) to see the extent of the territory in this zone.

Return of raccoon rabies in Québec

In December 2024, a case of raccoon rabies was identified in Québec, despite the control operations carried out in Québec and Vermont. This is the first case identified since the one discovered in the southwest of Montérégie in 2015. New cases have been discovered in Estrie and Montérégie since January 2025.

Since March 2022, several cases of raccoon rabies have been identified among raccoons and skunks in the Burlington area, in the state of Vermont, USA. In 2023 and 2024, cases were identified closer to Québec. Large-scale interventions are being implemented by American authorities to limit the spread of this outbreak and eliminate it. The close collaboration with American authorities continues so that the best strategies are implemented to limit the spread of raccoon rabies across the Canadian-American border.

From 2006 to 2009, a total of 104 cases of raccoon rabies were confirmed among wildlife in Québec. Control operations had then helped to stop the spread of raccoon rabies in the province after this first introduction. Only one other isolated case had been identified afterwards in 2015.

Only raccoons, striped skunks and foxes in the Estrie and Montérégie regions are currently under surveillance. You can report these wild animals if they are sick, injured or dead, or if you suspect they are showing signs of rabies.

Fill out the online form

Elsewhere in Québec, if you find that the behaviour or health of a raccoon, striped skunk or fox seems abnormal, you can also report it.

Control operations seek to contain, reduce, or eliminate raccoon rabies in a given territory. The vaccination of wild animals through the manual and aerial distribution of vaccine baits is the main intervention measure. The aim is to immunize raccoons, skunks and foxes against the disease, to protect human health.

In 2024, due to the high risk of raccoon rabies returning, control operations resumed in Estrie and Montérégie. In 2025, two control operations were carried out — one in April and another in August and September. A third operation will take place in October. These operations must continue over the next few years to slow the spread of the disease in Québec and eventually eliminate it.

Manual distribution

From October 23 to 31, 2025, manual distribution of vaccine baits will take place in Estrie. The baits will be placed near wooded areas and watercourses, around fields, agricultural facilities and abandoned buildings, and near garbage bins. Teams from the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs will cover about 1,600 km² in 24 municipalities across Estrie, distributing 134,000 vaccine baits. See the List of municipalities in Estrie (PDF 68 Kb) targeted by control operations and the Map of raccoon rabies control operations (PDF 1.66 Mb) in Québec for details on the area covered by the distribution.

If the bait is intact, in a place accessible to wildlife and away from human activity, leave it there without handling. It will therefore be available to be consumed by the targeted animals. 

To dispose of an intact vaccine bait that inadvertently ends up in a heavily trafficked area, in a harvest or in the immediate environment of farm animals, the best solution is to toss it in the trash. It is, however, recommended to wear gloves when handling the bait and to place it in a leakproof container (plastic bag, plastic dish, etc.) before discarding. Thoroughly clean any fruit or vegetables that may have been in contact with the bait.

If the bait is pierced or crushed, avoid contact with the vaccine liquid and use tools, such as a shovel, to dispose of it in a leakproof container. Always thoroughly wash your hands after handling.

In case of contact with a pierced or crushed bait, call Info-Santé 811 or dial the number on the back of the bait to assess if there is a health risk.

If vaccine bait has been in contact with fruits or vegetables intended for human consumption or ingested by a farm animal, notify the Canadian Centre for Veterinary Biologics at 1-855-212-7695 and the authorities of the provincial raccoon rabies vaccination program of the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs at 1-877-346-6763.

If your domestic animal has eaten a vaccine bait and you have questions or concerns, please contact a veterinarian. It is very important to note that a pet cannot be considered vaccinated against rabies after eating a vaccine bait. Vaccine baits are designed for wild animals such as raccoons and skunks, which are the main ”reservoir” species of the disease in natural environments. Their effectiveness has not been tested or proven in domestic animals.